Chapter 24 – The Gear Awakens
The chaos outside the alley had only intensified. Steven and Sera had barely managed to stay out of sight as the streets filled with panicked civilians, soldiers, and Piltover's defenders scrambling to protect the city. The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke, the distant flashes of explosions lighting up the sky. Every few moments, the ground would shake underfoot as another blast reverberated through the city.
Steven couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. How had he let things get so out of hand? He wasn't just some inventor anymore; he was a person trapped in a world on the edge of war. And in that moment, all the gadgets he had made, all the systems and mechanisms he had worked so hard to perfect, seemed like nothing more than a collection of broken dreams.
But as Sera's hand gripped his tightly, he felt a flicker of something inside him — something far deeper than fear, deeper than doubt. It was a memory. An instinct. Something that told him this wasn't the end.
"We need to go," Sera's voice was low, urgent. "Back to the Academy. I know you've got things there that might help."
Steven's heart beat faster as the words hit him. He had been preparing for this moment for so long, testing out prototypes, developing new technologies. But he hadn't considered how they would work in a real-world scenario — how he would feel when the world was collapsing around him.
"Yeah," he said, nodding slowly. "I've got equipment back at the lab. I… I think it's time to actually use it."
His voice sounded distant, but there was determination behind it now. The realization hit him with sharp clarity: it wasn't enough to just think, to plan. He needed action. And if he was going to make a difference in this chaotic world, he had to equip himself for what was to come.
Sera's eyes softened, her grip tightening on his hand as she led him through the alley. "We'll get through this together, Steven."
It was then that a new sense of urgency surged through him. This wasn't just about surviving anymore. This was about stepping up, becoming the person he was meant to be, the person who could protect the people he cared about — the person who could change the tide of battle.
They navigated the streets, sticking to the shadows, avoiding the increasingly chaotic crowds. Steven's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. His inventions had always been tools for progress, for innovation, for himself. But now, they had to be something more. He had to make them real, tangible weapons.
When they finally arrived at the Academy's lower lab, Steven pushed open the heavy steel doors with a sense of finality. The cold, sterile air inside was a stark contrast to the panic outside. He walked toward the far corner of the room, where his workbench stood. The gadgets he had been tinkering with for months, the prototypes that had failed so many times — they were all there, waiting for him.
"You're really going to do this, huh?" Sera's voice broke through his thoughts, her eyes scanning the lab. "You're going to use all that stuff?"
Steven nodded, his fingers hovering over the various blueprints and models spread across the workbench. His mind flickered over all the tools he had made: the repulsion bracer, the shock ring, the web slinger. And then, his gaze landed on something he had been working on in secret. Something more personal.
A small, sleek device, hidden in a corner of the workbench. A hidden blade — lightweight, sharp, and easily concealed. It was a tool of precision, a weapon for when brute force wasn't an option. He hadn't planned on using it, but now it seemed like the right time to finish it.
"First, the basics," Steven muttered, as he set the hidden blade aside and started assembling the shock ring. He slid his fingers across the smooth surface of the device, a small, satisfied smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It wasn't perfect, but it would work. With the press of a button, the ring would discharge a powerful electrical shock, more than enough to incapacitate an opponent.
"Don't think you can just sit this one out," Steven said, glancing over his shoulder. "You're in this with me, too, you know."
Sera smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. But I hope that ring of yours actually works this time."
Steven chuckled, the tension in his chest easing a little. "It'll work. This time, it's going to work."
Next, he grabbed the repulsion bracer. It was one of his first creations — an arm-mounted device capable of emitting a powerful force field to repel projectiles or enemies. It had been something of a failure in its early iterations, but now… now it was almost perfect. He attached it to his arm and flexed his hand, feeling the weight of it.
"Alright, let's see if this baby's ready for action," he muttered to himself, testing the mechanism. The field hummed to life, a faint blue glow surrounding his arm as it powered up. Perfect.
And finally, the piece de resistance — the web slinger. Steven had designed it to replicate the web-slinging technology of Earth's most famous superhero, but with a Piltover twist. It wasn't quite perfect yet, but it had enough potential to get him out of tight spots.
Sera watched as he strapped the web-slinger to his wrist, her expression a mix of admiration and disbelief. "You really think all this will help?"
"I don't have much choice," Steven replied, glancing at her. "I need to be ready. And I need to make sure I can protect the people I care about."
Her eyes softened, a rare moment of vulnerability shining through. "I'm not going anywhere. But I'm glad you're doing this. I know you've got it in you."
Steven took a deep breath. This was it. The calm before the storm. The moment where he stopped being a bystander and finally took control of his fate. He could feel the weight of the equipment he had just donned, the responsibility that came with it.
He wasn't just an inventor anymore. He was a fighter, someone who could stand up against the chaos. And as the distant rumblings of war continued to shake the city, he knew that he had to rise to the occasion — not just for himself, but for everyone.
"Let's do this," Steven said, his voice steady as he turned toward Sera.
Together, they were going to face whatever came next.